Hampton blows lead but comes back for 31-27 win over FAMU

Reeling and drained, Hampton University’s defense needed just one stop. Those had been hard to come by in the second half.

But on fourth-and-3 from the Pirates’ 16-yard line, HU’s Bruce Perry stopped Florida A&M’s Devin Bowers three feet short of the first-down marker. After squandering an 18-point lead, HU held on for a 31-27 homecoming win Saturday at Armstrong Stadium.

“I’m exhausted, man,” linebacker Raheim Huskey said with sweat dripping from his face. “I’m just happy we won the game.”

The Pirates are 4-0 in the conference for the first time since 2010. They trail North Carolina A&T (8-0, 5-0) by a half-game.

Virginia Tech transfer Shai McKenzie of HU rushed for 147 yards on 19 carries, both career highs, and a touchdown. His 37-yard run set up the Pirates’ go-ahead touchdown with 5:46 remaining.

McKenzie started ahead of Yahkee Johnson because HU coach Connell Maynor said the latter was upset with being pulled from the game last week at Norfolk State. McKenzie rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown on the Pirates’ opening drive.

“We went with Shai more today because he was so effective breaking tackles,” Maynor said. “They had two people there most of the time, so Yahkee was going down because he’s smaller.

“Shai was breaking tackles because he’s a bigger back. We felt we needed to stick with him a little longer today.”

Johnson added 68 yards on 14 carries. Quarterback Delmon Williams passed for 140 yards and three touchdowns while running for another 68 yards.

And Bethel High alum Quinton Lee gave the Pirates the lead for good on an 8-yard touchdown reception. It was his first career touchdown — and his first career catch.

Florida A&M (2-6, 1-4) outgained Hampton 416-405 but did itself in with 15 penalties for 142 yards. The killer came on the Rattlers’ final possession.

On second-and-11 from the HU 24, FAMU’s Ricky Henrilus broke through the line and carried a couple of defenders to the 1-yard line. But instead of first-and-goal with a minute left, Rattlers lineman Loubens Polinice was called for a hold.

That resulted in second-and-21 from the 34. After an incompletion, A&M quarterback Ryan Stanley hit Chaviss Murphy for 18 yards. But on fourth-and-3, Perry made the big stop.

“They called a timeout right before that play,” Maynor said. “Then we called a timeout for two reasons: We wanted to see how they lined up and to give us more rest because it was the biggest play of the football game.

“If our guys go hard for four seconds and get a stop, that’s the football game.”

Offensively, Hampton had touchdown drives of 80, 82 and 96 yards. One scoring possession lasted 14 plays and took 8:12 off the clock, both season highs.

And for the second consecutive game, Hampton didn’t turn the ball over.

But after Williams’ 4-yard touchdown pass to Damon Woodcock made it 21-3 with 3:23 left in the second quarter, the Pirates seemed to lose their fire. FAMU scored 17 consecutive points and made it 21-20 on Khalil Clark’s 35-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.

After Hampton’s Adam Brown countered with a 24-yarder, A&M took its first lead on Stanley’s 91-yard pass to Chad Hunter with 7:23 left. But after a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct on the celebration set up a short field, Hampton took the lead for good on Williams’ pass to Lee.

“We’ve got to start out with a better second half,” Huskey said. “We come out slow in the second half sometimes. Just got to keep your foot on the gas.”

See the 2017 Hampton University season in photos.

Johnson can be reached by phone at 757-247-4649. Follow him on Twitter at @DaveJohnsonDP.